SOUTH PORTLAND — John Henry Broderick Jr., 87, died in his sleep Feb. 5.

Born in Portland on Jan., 22, 1923, he was a son of John Henry and Dorothy Howard Broderick.

After graduating from Portland High School in 1941, he served in the U.S. Army. During World War II he served in France and central Europe as a radio operator, relaying messages from troops on the front line to central command.

After the war, he worked as a surveyor during the construction of the Maine Turnpike.

In 1948 he married Jeannette Grace LaPointe.

In 1952 he began work as a brakeman for the Maine Central Railroad until he retired in 1984.

A lifelong sports fan and athlete, he played softball, horseshoes and liked to bowl. His true passion was golf, and he spent his retirement years on Willowdale Golf Course, where he was called “sweet swinger” for his great slice.

He had a great appreciation for the arts and would often recite famous passages of poetry for family and friends. He enjoyed classic movies and classical music.

A longtime passion for technology, he was an electronics enthusiast who fixed televisions and radios as a hobby. In the late 70s he became interested in computers and was one of the first in the neighborhood to own a personal computer.

He was a lifelong member of the V.F.W. Post 832, the Hiram Lodge Masons, the Elks Club, and the American Legion.

He was predeceased by a son, Wayne.

Surviving are his wife of 61 years, Jeannette; two sons, James, and John and daughter-in-law Michelle, and two daughters, Linda, and Nancy and son-in-law Richard Lambert; six grandchildren, Wayne Broderick, Dan Broderick, Alicia Lambert, Stephen Lambert, Liam Broderick, and Sophie Broderick; his brother Richard and sister-in-law Faye Broderick.